In my experience of late, nothing could be further from the truth. I only buy about 30% of "The Money Excuse" for why CTA rail service is in the crapper (and I'm referring specifically to north and southbound Red, Purple and Blue line service, since those are the only lines I use...based on word of mouth, though, the same could also be said of Brown and Green lines.) I know there are huge infrastructure/funds allocation issues at the state and regional levels that affect certain aspects of CTA performance, e.g., if you can't perform routine maintenance, you're going to have issues. However, it's the underperformance in those areas that aren't affected by lack of money that drives me nuts since these have the potential to dramatically improve the overall experience of riding the el. For example, last week, I was trying to connect from the Yellow line to the Purple line at the Howard stop. There was a Purple line train waiting at the station as the Yellow line pulled up. We exited the Yellow line and walked
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Your reply confirms, essentially, that the rail service is "in the crapper" or at least nearly beyond the power of CTA to manage effectively. ;) No matter the reasons why, it's a mess! Nevertheless, I only addressed those issues that are not dependant on cash and that could go a long way toward reversing the negative opinion of CTA rail service (I can't speak on CTA buses as I don't ride any) AND make up for the CTA's inability to increase/expand equipment and infrastructure maintenance due to budget problems. Is it unreasonable to expect the CTA to allow passengers to make their connections when there is ample time? (For the record, it's happened several times that the doors to the Purple line close as the doors to the Yellow line open. Then the Purple line sits there for at least five seconds before pulling off. It's maddening and absolutely indefensible/inexcusable.) Is it unreasonable to expect the CTA to clean the trains *more effectively*? There are at least three guys at the Howard stop whose job it is to sweep
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:) I *do* try to be reasonable, though I'll admit my frustration may be getting the better of me here. I should have pointed out that I was once the sort to dismiss complaints about the CTA because until I moved to Lakeview, I rarely had issues with rail service. Now that I'm riding the Purple and Red lines, though, it's a completely different story. My commute absolutely sucks and usually for reasons that seem completely manageable. Anyway, the silver lining is that I HAVE had positive experiences with the CTA, so I know it can be better than it is. At any rate, it was just such a relief NOT to have to worry about reliable transportation for a while...
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In my experience of late, nothing could be further from the truth. I only buy about 30% of "The Money Excuse" for why CTA rail service is in the crapper (and I'm referring specifically to north and southbound Red, Purple and Blue line service, since those are the only lines I use...based on word of mouth, though, the same could also be said of Brown and Green lines.) I know there are huge infrastructure/funds allocation issues at the state and regional levels that affect certain aspects of CTA performance, e.g., if you can't perform routine maintenance, you're going to have issues. However, it's the underperformance in those areas that aren't affected by lack of money that drives me nuts since these have the potential to dramatically improve the overall experience of riding the el. For example, last week, I was trying to connect from the Yellow line to the Purple line at the Howard stop. There was a Purple line train waiting at the station as the Yellow line pulled up. We exited the Yellow line and walked ( ... )
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